Primary production
Monthly primary production trends show the annual cycle (i.e. the peak during the summer months) and the changes over time for each month.
Trend lines are shown when slope is significantly different from 0 at the p < 0.05 level. An orange line signifies an overall positive trend, and purple signifies a negative trend. Note that in the final report we will only test for trend when N >= 30. However, I have relaxed that requirement for the purposes of this document so that trends are highlighted when N >= 20. This means that some trends shown here will not be present in the final document. Dashed lines represent mean values of time series unless the indicator is an anomaly, in which case the dashed line is equal to 0. Shaded regions indicate the past ten years. If there are no new data for 2018, the shaded region will still cover this time period.
MAB seasonal sea surface temperature time series overlaid onto 2019 seasonal spatial anomalies.
Annual bottom temperature in the Mid-Atlantic Bight.
Annual bottom temperature in the Mid-Atlantic Bight.
Monthly primary production trends show the annual cycle (i.e. the peak during the summer months) and the changes over time for each month.
Weekly chlorophyll concentrations and primary productivity in the Mid-Atlantic are shown for by the colored line for 2019. The long-term mean is shown in black and shading indicates +/- 1 sample SD.
Water quality attainment in Chesapeake Bay following rolling three year assessment periods.
Headline: Warmer-than-average winter water temps in Chesapeake Bay likely help blue crabs, hurt striped bass numbers.
Stratified abundance of cnidarians and euphausiids in Mid-Atlantic Bight.
Large (red) and small-bodied (blue) copepod abundance in the Mid-Atlantic Bight.
Zooplankton diversity in the Mid-Atlantic Bight.
Cold pool index - mean bottom temperature anomaly for Sept-Oct in the MAB.
Marine heatwave events (red) in the Mid-Atlantic occuring in 2020.
Marine heatwave cumulative intesity (left) and maximum intensity (right) in the Mid-Atlantic Bight.
Maximum intensity heatwave anomaly in the Mid-Atlantic Bight occuring on July 28, 2020.
| Habitat Name | Habitat Vulnerability Rank (HVCA) | Species | Eggs/Larva | Juvenile/YOY | Adult | Spawning Adult | Species Vulnerability Rank (FCVA) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mid-Atlantic native salt marsh | Very high | Blueback herring | NA | Moderate | NA | NA | Very high |
| Very high | Pollock | NA | Moderate | NA | NA | Moderate | |
| Very high | Summer flounder | NA | High | Moderate | NA | Moderate | |
| Very high | Winter flounder | High | Moderate | NA | High | Very high | |
| Marine/estuarine intertidal shellfish reef | Very high | Black sea bass | NA | High | High | NA | High |
| Very high | Scup | NA | Moderate | Moderate | NA | Moderate | |
| Very high | Summer flounder | NA | Moderate | NA | NA | Moderate | |
| Very high | Winter flounder | NA | Moderate | NA | NA | Very high | |
| Marine/estuarine subtidal shellfish reef | High | Black sea bass | NA | High | High | NA | High |
| High | Summer flounder | NA | Moderate | NA | NA | Moderate | |
| Marine/estuarine submerged aquatic vegetation | High | Alewife | Very high | Very high | NA | Very high | Very high |
| High | Black sea bass | NA | High | NA | NA | High | |
| High | Scup | Very high | NA | NA | Very high | Moderate | |
| High | Summer flounder | NA | High | Moderate | NA | Moderate | |
| Marine intertidal rocky bottom | High | Black sea bass | NA | High | High | NA | High |
| High | Ocean pout | High | NA | High | Very high | High | |
| Marine intertidal mud | High | Little skate | Very high | High | High | NA | Low |
| High | Ocean pout | NA | NA | NA | NA | High | |
| High | Scup | Very high | High | NA | NA | Moderate | |
| High | Summer flounder | NA | High | High | High | Moderate | |
| High | Windowpane flounder | NA | High | High | NA | Low | |
| High | Winter flounder | Very high | High | High | Very high | Very high | |
| Marine intertidal sand | High | Little skate | Very high | High | High | NA | Low |
| High | Red hake | NA | High | NA | NA | Low | |
| High | Scup | Very high | High | NA | NA | Moderate | |
| High | Summer flounder | NA | High | High | High | Moderate | |
| High | Windowpane flounder | NA | High | High | NA | Low | |
| High | Winter flounder | Very high | High | High | Very high | Very high | |
| Marine/estuarine kelp | High | Ocean pout | NA | Moderate | NA | NA | High |
| Estuarine intertidal rocky bottom | Moderate | Ocean pout | NA | NA | NA | Very high | High |
| Estuarine intertidal mud | Moderate | Winter flounder | Very high | NA | NA | Very high | Very high |
| Estuarine intertidal sand | Moderate | Winter flounder | Very high | NA | NA | Very high | Very high |
| Estuarine subtidal mud | Moderate | Winter flounder | Very high | NA | NA | Very high | Very high |
| Riverine sand | Moderate | Alewife | Very high | Very high | NA | Very high | Very high |
Seasonal glider-based pH observations on the Mid-Atlantic Bight shelf (New Jersey cross-shelf transect) in relation to Atlantic surfclam and Atlantic sea scallop habitats (modified from Wright-Fairbanks et al. 2020).
Grace Saba at Rutgers University recently established a glider-based pH observation program to monitor seasonal dynamics of carbonate chemistry in the Mid-Atlantic Bight covering Atlantic surfclam (Spisula solidissima) and Atlantic sea scallop (Placopecten magellanicus) habitats. Glider-based pH data are shown here with a general representation of depth ranges/habitat occupied by surfclams and sea scallops. Seasonal and spatial carbonate chemistry dynamics were influenced by stratification, freshwater input, biological processes, and water mass mixing. Highest pH was observed in winter shelf and fall shelf break water. Lower pH occurred in nearshore surface (spring through fall), likely as a result of freshwater input. The lowest pH values were observed in Cold Pool bottom water, particularly in the summer. This is likely attributed to low ventilation between surface and bottom water and biological respiration in bottom water.
Seasonal sea surface temperature anomalies for 2019 over the Northeast US Shelf.
Average annual sea surface temperature (SST) over the Northeast US Shelf.
Index representing the north wall of the Gulf Stream. Positive values represent a more northerly Gulf Stream position.
Warm core ring formation on the Northeast US Shelf.